


Friends

by SophiexHorayne



Category: Ackley Bridge (TV)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends to Lovers, M/M, i say slowburn but like they kiss in the first chapter so, maybe this is loosely based on the ed sheeran song, mutual (oblivious) pining, slowburn, the one where they’ve been best friends since pre-school
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-06-26 13:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19768978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiexHorayne/pseuds/SophiexHorayne
Summary: “You being my friend...” Naveed starts, staring up at the cloudless mid-September sky above them.Friend. Right. Cory remembers at once that that is what they are. Friends. Best mates. Since they were capable of forming memories (which is if you were wondering, about 2 years of age). It doesn’t matter that they kissed during spin the bottle when they were thirteen. Or that they kissed outside of prom when they were sixteen. Or when they kissed on the final evening of summer in the lake as the sun was setting. It doesn’t matter because they are friends. They are Best Mates. “It means a lot to me.”Cory glances over at Naveed beside him. They’re lying close together and he almost forgot just how close. He reminds himself he can’t think about the fact they are close enough to kiss. Because they are friends and that is all. And that friendship means a lot. So he doesn’t think about kissing him right there (not once). Instead he smiles at him and says,“Me too.”—Or the one where naveed and cory have been friends since they can remember, and are in denial that they are so much more than that.





	1. Just one of them things

Summer 2018. The first year of sixth form finished. The summer becomes a season of lie-ins and parties and rugby and video games. It rushes by in a blur, days melting into others. Sometimes, after a party, or hanging out at friends’ houses, Cory wakes up at Naveed’s side. He knows it means nothing, that there is simply a limited number of beds and sometimes they happen to crash on the same one. It doesn’t mean anything.

The final day of summer comes round quickly, although the beginning of summer, late June, feels forever away. Cory, Naveed and the other lads celebrate at the lake.

The lake, hidden amongst a small woodland, sits a little way from Riz’ house. It’s sort of the boys’ place now. Most of every summer spent there since they were about 10.

As the sun starts to set on the final summer day, late evening, the boys start to leave. Dan and Jake going one way, Riz another. He pauses and looks back at Cory and Naveed, who still tread water in the lake, laughing, splashing one another.

“You guys coming or what?” He calls.

The two jump and turn to their friend who stands at the edge of the lake, towel draped over his now clothed shoulders.

Cory glances at Naveed. The summer with him is good. It has always been good. There’s never been a summer without Naveed. He doesn’t want it to end. He wants to stay in the lake with Naveed as the sunsets forever. Naveed gives him the same look right back. Like he doesn’t want to leave yet.

Cory turns to Riz, “We’re gonna stay for a while.” He calls to him, “See you at school tomorrow.”

Riz looks at them for a moment, notices how they didn’t even need to speak before deciding to both stay, but doesn’t comment. He’s used to Cory and Naveed’s telepathy. Used to them just _knowing_ what the other is thinking. They’ve always just been like that.

“Alright, don’t stay too long.” He says, “And don’t get lost.”

Cory grins back. Naveed grins too but he’s not looking at Riz. He’s looking at Cory. Riz shakes his head and ambles away from the lake and back through the woods. He doesn’t think anything of it. Never does. It’s just Naveed and Cory. It’s always been Naveed and Cory. Since pre-school. Riz is their friend. Dan and Jake are their friends. But Naveed and Cory are different. And he’s used to it.

Cory turns back to Naveed the moment Riz begins to walk away. He smiles. Naveed smiles back. His eyes shine.

With a sudden movement, Naveed splashes him, glides backwards slightly in the water. Cory gasps, splashes him back and crashes through the water after him.

Naveed is smaller than him, if only by a little, and he’s less athletic and a little clumsy. Thus, Cory catches him quickly around the waist.

They’re laughing, Naveed trying to struggle away and Cory trying to hold him there. Incoherent words pass between them, both breathless from laughing. They lean against each other, bodies a little wet from the water. Naveed is warm and his smile makes Cory pause for a moment.

They catch their breath back. The evening sun pours down over them and the lake. Everything is beautiful. Naveed is beautiful.

Naveed knows that look. In Cory’s eyes. He isn’t completely oblivious. He swallows, looks down at the small space between them, the cool lake water surrounding them.

Cory isn’t sure why this feels right. Perhaps it’s the way the sun is shining. Or maybe the feeling of ending, from the final summer evening. It could be both. Or neither. But he still moves closer.

Aware of the slight movement from his friend, Naveed looks up from the water, nudges his nose against Cory’s as he does so. He probably should not let this happen. Because they are simply friends and this kind of thing tends to make things complicated. They could do without that.

But he’s moved by the way the sun showers over them. And the fact that summer is ending. And his heart is beating in a _way_.

When Cory kisses him he closes his eyes. He takes half a small step back in the water to stay balanced, and his hand tentatively rests on Cory’s waist. It’s been a while since he has kissed anyone, let alone Cory and he forgot how soft Cory’s lips can be. How gently Cory let’s himself be when he just lets go of everything.

The last time Cory kissed him, Naveed pulled away too quickly. He hasn’t realised until now how much he regretted that. But at the same time he realises why he did pull away the last time.

He pulls away again.

His hands almost shake.

Cory’s eyes are open wide and they blink once at him. Then he swallows. And just looks at him. Naveed shines. The sunlight bounces off the water on his shoulders, and it glints in Naveed’s brown eyes that wonder about the shoreline and the trees and the water- anywhere but Cory’s face.

“That was just...” Cory starts, knowing the only way they can come back from this is pretending it was meaningless.

“Nothing.” Naveed finishes, meeting his eyes for the briefest of moments, with a forced smile, before casting them away again.

“Right.” Cory says, focusing on the droplets of water on Naveed’s shoulder. Thinks perhaps it would not be a good idea to look at his face when they are still this close.

Naveed steps away first.

“We should... go.” Naveed says, “We’re probably just tired. And... nervous. About school tomorrow.”

Still, he doesn’t look at Cory for more than half a second, and begins to wade to the bank of the lake. When there is an acceptable distance created between them, Cory starts to follow him out.

“Right.” Cory says again, half to himself. He swallows. It was just a kiss. It needn’t be such a huge deal. _Really_. 

Naveed reaches the edge of the lake and swipes his clothes from the grass where he’d abandoned them to a few hours prior. He puts them on hurriedly, without drying off first. The material clings to him immediately. He barely looks at Cory but he knows his friend is briskly drying himself with the towel. Then he shrugs his clothes on quickly too. Then his green flip flops, that Naveed always told him make him look fucking stupid. He wears them to wind him up anyway.

Despite half wanting to run away from the scene of the crime, Naveed stays put and waits for Cory before beginning to walk off back into the woods. Cory hurries up to him, so they walk side by side.

“Naveed this is...” He shrugs, uncertain of the right words, “Just one of them things, right? We’re fine.”

Naveed smiles up at him, trying to settle the waves in his chest. Not butterflies. The feeling is heavier than that. And it pulls him down rather than fluttering upwards. “Yeah.” He agrees, “It were nothing. We said that.”

Cory nods. Some stupid part of him wants to say that it wasn’t _nothing_ and they both know it. But if it wasn’t nothing then it were something. And that feels far scarier.

“Right.” Cory says. The word feels overused on his lips this evening. “Well... race you out of the woods?” His smile is the usual grin, showered in that Cory Wilson charm that Naveed and everyone else is used to.

It’s infectious and makes Naveed grin back. They both start running.

“You have to be careful!” Naveed yells after Cory who is, of course, being the rugby player, already far ahead of him. “You’re in flip-flops!”

“So are you!” Cory calls back.

“That’s why I’m being slow.” Naveed replies, both knowing that isn’t entirely the truth.

By the time they are clear of the trees and out onto the country lane a few yards from Riz’ house, it is like The Incident at the lake had not even occurred. Or like it hadn’t changed anything, at least. They’re laughing their way up the road, high on adrenaline (or exhausted from it), nudging each other every few metres.

They just look like mates. And the sun is almost entirely gone from the horizon when they part ways by the estate where Cory lives. And summer is over. And all the two friends have left is Year 13.

The late evening has never felt more sunless.


	2. Makes everything right

The first day of Year 13 at Ackley Bridge college is not far different from every other day they have spent there in the past 6 years. Of course the first day back tends to be mostly what the teachers call “admin”. Laying out the plan for the year ahead, taking in summer projects, handing out study checklists. By the end of the day there is already an overwhelming amount of paper in every student’s school bag (either scrunched at the bottom already, or tucked into folders).

The events at the lake the previous night (or more specifically That Event) have not been forgotten, by Naveed and Cory, but rather just ignored. Neither dare to mention it and this seems to work. Much like the time at the Year 11 prom. It begins to feel more like a dream than a memory. And such dreams are never shared, even between the best of friends. 

By ignoring it, everything goes back to normal. Naveed is late to lunch and is dismayed to find all the muffins have gone when he makes his way to Mrs Paracha and the other dinner ladies behind the counter. However when reaching the lads’ table he discovers two muffins on Cory’s tray, and his friend slides one across the table to him the moment he sits down.

Cory grins as Naveed’s eyes light up, “You’re welcome.” He tells him.

“How did you...”

“Saw they were running out and you weren’t here so I got two.” He explains with a shrug, “I know you love ‘em. Wasn’t gonna have you start your last year at Ackley Bridge College without a muffin were I?”

Naveed smiles. He could be blushing. The other boys watch them in amusement.

“Thank you, Cory.”

The Friday of the first week back at school, Dan invites the lads over to his. Dan Fairfax’ house is relatively big, larger than Cory’s, and Jake’s, a bit moreso than Naveed’s, but not quite the extent of Riz’.

Their conservatory has a large tv set (as does the lounge and an upstairs gaming room). The boys crowd the sofa there and play fifa, beers from the ‘bar’ the other side of the room strewn across the coffee table.

Naveed sits on the arm of the chair, beside Cory. Sometimes, on occasions such as this, he sits on Cory’s lap. When playing fifa, however, this proves difficult.

When Fifa becomes boring, they put the tv on quietly on a random tv channel. It’s generally ignored, the boys all turning to their phones. Naveed leans against the back of the sofa uncomfortably (he’s only really half on it), his leg brushing Cory’s. He watches Cory scroll through twitter. 

“That’s well gay.” Jake says suddenly. He’s sitting on the arm chair, rather than the sofa, and perhaps he only says this just to be a little more included in the group.

Everyone glances up at him, and realise Jake is talking about whatever is on the tv. One man squeezes another man’s hand as says “i’m here” in a London accent. It’s a soap of some kind.

“What’s wrong with that?” Riz asks. 

Naveed has gone quiet and stiff. He feels a little clammy. Jake appeared to have momentarily forgotten that Naveed is gay. Must have momentarily forgotten these friends do not say things like That.

“It’s just, gay ain’t it?” Jake sits up, realising he’s backed himself into a corner.

“Two guys showing each other affection in times of trouble is gay to you?”

Jake shrugs uncomfortably, purses his lips then says, “It just- I just caught a moment of it and-“

“You just assumed.” Riz continues.

Cory feels like he should speak up too. For Naveed more than anything but he feels frozen. He holds Naveed’s hand a lot. He’s also been thinking that maybe he isn’t...

“Well, yeah. But holding hands is gay usually right? Like kissing. You’d never kiss a friend. Cause it’s gay.”

Riz stares at him like he doesn’t understand him. Like he’s never met Jake before. Naveed swallows. Cory stares at his phone so fiercely it might catch fire like Matilda and her family’s tv set.

“I reckon friends can kiss.” Dan speaks up suddenly.

If Cory were a cat, his ears would prick up. He remains staring at his phone.

“I mean, girl friends kiss each other all the time, why can’t we?” Dan continues.

Jake looks sheepish for a long moment and then says, “But there’s a line, though.”

“Well yeah.” Cory speaks this time. It feels a little like an out-of-body experience. “But holding hands en’t ever gay.”

One of the guys on the tv screen breaks down crying. He’s just lost his wife, is what they gather.

“Alright.” Jake says, looking shamefully down at his lap. Then he looks over at Naveed, “Sorry.”

Naveed shrugs, though still feels a little uncomfortable, “‘S alright.” He says, “Nowt was meant by it.” Then he sits up, leans over to the coffee table and collects the three empty beer cans, “Anyone want another?” He asks, slipping off of the chair’s arm and hurrying over to the bar.

The chorus of yesses and no’s ease the tension away and Riz shows everyone a funny meme on his phone and the conversation is put in the past.

Cory gets up and wanders over to the bar where Naveed gets more beers out the mini fridge, slowly, as though he wants to stay behind the bar as long as he can. Cory doesn’t blame him. 

“Hey.” He says quietly, drumming his fingers against the bar once.

Naveed looks up at him and smiles weakly. “Hi.” He places a fourth beer on the bar and closes the fridge.

“Nav...” Cory’s voice is gentle. It’s a voice he only really uses with Naveed. “You alright?”

If it were anyone else, Naveed would’ve said he’s fine and smiled. But with Cory he doesn’t need to do that. He shrugs and struggles to meet his eyes.

“It’s not like it were directed at me.” He says. On the bar he and Cory’s hands rest near one another. Their bodies are close. 

“No but, it’s understandable if you’re upset.”

“Not upset.” Naveed mutters. He still won’t look at Cory’s face.

Cory’s fingers creep over the bar and nudge Naveed’s. He glances briefly back at the other boys who are engrossed in a video on someone’s phone. He looks back at Naveed who is finally looking at him.

“I’m kind of angry.” Naveed says. 

Cory lets one of his fingers loop over one of Naveed’s. “That’s okay. What he said was wrong, you do know that.”

Naveed nods, closes his eyes as Cory presses his forehead against Naveed’s, slightly to the side of his face. He sighs. Cory this close... it makes everything right.

“It’s just...” Naveed’s breath brushes Cory’s jawline. “Those insults. Being called gay if you weren’t particularly masculine... they always used to be directed at me.”

Cory knows this. Because half the time he was involved too. If they hugged in the playground in primary school, or held hands. He doesn’t point this out, however.

“I’m sorry.” Cory murmurs. It’s not right. The insults when he and Naveed held hands... they were always aimed more towards Naveed and that makes him angry suddenly. Because Cory was into sport and rugby and football and ‘boy’ things. And he always got off lightly. And maybe... maybe he shouldn’t have because he... he doesn’t think he is exactly straight either.

“It’s fine.” Naveed moves away and slides his hand from the bar counter. “Come on.” He grabs two beer cans from the counter and hurries them across the room. Cory follows with the other two.

Jake has taken Cory’s place on the sofa, so instead he and Naveed sit on the armchair. Naveed sits on the arm again, takes a couple of gulps from the beer in his hand.

“Do you want to swap places?” Cory asks quietly.

Naveed shrugs. “I don’t mind.”

Any other time and Naveed would have slid into Cory’s lap. But after the earlier conversation he daren’t. Although he doesn’t expect Jake will say anything, not after the reaction from everyone. Nonetheless there is the high possibility that he will simply _think_ _it_ and Naveed thinks that is just as bad. So he sits on the arm of the chair. Gulps more of the beer. It’s tasteless and foul. He takes another sip anyway.


	3. Everything, everything, everything

Naveed Haider’s house is a nice house. It’s in the middle class area of town and is far bigger than Cory’s. And it’s not rented. And his parents’ have an en suite bathroom and there’s a treehouse in the garden that was built when the two of them were about 5. Jordan, Cory’s brother, was toddling then, it used to drive him mad that he couldn’t climb the ladder and the two friends wouldn’t let him up. Cory’s dad helped build the tree house, along with Naveed’s father, while their mums prepared lunch. Cory’s mum... memories of her have become flickers in his mind, enhanced by photos. He doesn’t know where she went, or why she left. Not really. He repressed the memories of that anyway.

“Cory. Cory!” Naveed’s fingers wave in front of his face suddenly.

“Hmm? 27?” He guesses, pulling himself back into the real world.

“What? Mate we’re doing science. You don’t even do maths a-level.” Naveed tells him, half laughing, “Where were you, up there like?” He pokes Cory’s forehead with one finger.

Cory smiles and pushes Naveed’s hand away. “I don’t know. Remembering when this place was built.” He looks up at the rotting wood above him and smiles- _NAVEED + CORY_ is written a little sloppily in black felt tip on one of the beams. 

Naveed grins softly and looks up at the treehouse roof too, “Yeah. Remember when your kid got stuck up here and we forgot to help him down?”

Cory chuckles softly, “Poor Jordan.” He leans back against the old wooden wall. “What was the question?”

Naveed’s smile is so wide it makes Cory’s chest flutter. It’s everything, to see Naveed smile. “It’s about the digestive system.”

When they have finished the homework, they both climb down from the treehouse and lay down in the grass at the back of Naveed’s garden. Their bodies are mostly shaded from the shadow cast from the tree beside them. Grass tickles their arms.

Cory sighs and stares up at the sky. “I’m gonna miss you on days like this when you leave.” It’s not something Cory would admit to anyone else, but he has become so used to telling Naveed all that he is feeling, things he could never ever tell another soul.

Naveed turns his head to look at him, “I probably won’t even get in.” He says, “Besides I’ll be home for holidays.”

“I know.” Cory says through a sigh. It still won’t be the same though. He doesn’t really want Naveed to go. To university. But he can’t make him stay. What kind of friend would that make him? Naveed has been dreaming of that drama course in Manchester since he found out about it. It’s perfect for him and they both know it. He has to let him go.

“I will miss you too, you know.” Naveed says. “So much.” He pauses for a moment. Like he desperately wants to say something but doesn’t know how, “You being my friend...” Naveed starts, staring up at the cloudless mid-September sky above them.

 _Friend._ Right. Cory remembers at once that that is what they are. Friends. Best mates. Since they were capable of forming memories (which is if you were wondering, is about 2 years of age). It doesn’t matter that they kissed during spin the bottle when they were thirteen. Or that they kissed outside of prom when they were sixteen. Or when they kissed on the final evening of summer in the lake as the sun was setting. It doesn’t matter because they are friends. They are Best Mates. “It means a lot to me.”

Cory glances over at Naveed beside him. They’re lying close together and he almost forgot just how close. He reminds himself he can’t think about the fact they are close enough to kiss. Because they are friends and that is all. And that friendship means a lot. So he doesn’t think about kissing him right there (not once). Instead he smiles at him and says,

“Me too.”

Because Naveed means everything, everything, everything to him in a way that can’t be put into words. And every moment with him can never be enough because he always wants one more second. And he knows Naveed never wants to leave his side either. And he knows that he’s always going to be there, even if he’s in Manchester he is just a phonecall or a train ride away. He loves him for that. And he loves him for everything else about him too. In a friend-like way. Because Naveed being his friend; that means a lot to him too.

He daren’t ever break it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a short chapter but ch4 is much longer so yeah.


End file.
